Clutch driven plate



Seppzs, 1941. G. HUNT 2,256,713

CLUTCH DRIVEN PLATE Filed April 15, 1940 iai/[717,7

I f5] 1 4 5 l mento-r 'y 57 55 @5095 Zilli grstemed'sepf. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice` cwrcn nmvEN PLATE George Hunt, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,590

3 Claims.

: scription which follows.

y In the drawing: v

. Figure 1 is a transverse section through a clutch having my invention embodied therein..

Figure 2 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, to show the novel driven member.

I Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2,

' this view showing the relative positions of the parts when the clutch is released.

Figure 5 is a similar section showing the relative positions of the parts when the clutch is engaged. l

Referring by reference characters to the drawing it will be seen that the engine shaft 9 carries a flywheel ll housed by casing I3. A pressure plate l5 is moved toward the flywheel by springs ll having for their abutment an inner cover I9 secured to the flywheel. The transmission input shaft 2| carries a hub 23. Numeral 25 designates a disc secured to the hub 23. What may be called an intermediate plate 30 has a torque' cushioned relation with the hub disc through the provision of a circular series of springs 21. The periphery of plate 20 has a plurality of 1adial tongues 28, the tongues being grouped in pairs. Adjacent the root of each tongue is a 'bend 29 so that the tongues are spaced axially from the plane of the plate. To the two tongues of each pair is secured as at 3i a segmental plate of spring steel marked 33. 'I'hese segments form an interrupted marginal region, the region located between the flywheel and pressure plate.-

'I'he several segments are normally flat. On either side of the ring formed by the segments are annular friction facings 35 and 3,1. The

, sides of the facings adjacent the iiywheel and ment is made to the segment where certain ofv of the facings adjacent the segments are formed with ridges and valleys, the ridges of one facing being opposite a valley of the other. Attachthe ridges' contact the segment.

It will be seen from Figures 4 and 5 that the spring segments are flexed when the clutch is engaged. To permity such flexing the axially spaced relation of the inner edge of the segments and the intermediate plate as explained above is provided. It is therefore possible for the segment to bend as shown by Figure 5, the bending being possible between the points'oi attachment at 3|. It may be explained that the bent regions of the spring segments are but little removed from the original plane of the segments and that a slight twisting of the tongues 28 will accommodate the bending. By this simple expedient it becomes unnecessary to resort to the manufacture of segments with recessed regions between their outer and inner regions to permit the bending.

I claim:

1. A driven clutch plate having a hub, an intermediate annulus operatively connected there' to, 4said annulus having at its outer edge a plurality of offset tongues arranged in pairs, a yieiding segment attached to `each pair of tongues, the segments together forming a yieldable interrupted ring, friction facings secured to the opposite surfaces of said segments, said facings having Atheir adjacent surfaces formed with ridges and valleys, the ridges of 'one facing being opposite the valleys of the other.

2. The invention defined by claim 1, said segments having inner edges extending substantially as chords, said inner edges being spaced axially from said annulus by thev offset tongues.

3. A driven clutch plate having a hub, an intermediate annulus operatively connected thereto. said annulus having at its outer edge a plupressure plate are flat and parallel. The sides rality of axially offset projections, a yielding segment attached to a pair of projections, the segments togetherforming a yieldable interrupted ring, vfriction facings secured to the opposite surfaces of said segments, said facings having their adjacent' surfaces formed with ridges and valleys,

the ridges of onefacing being opposite the valleys of the other.

GEORGE HUNT. 

